Morphine as First Drug for Cancer Pain

Background and Objectives: The drugs used as recommended by the WHO does not promote pain relief for all patients with cancer pain. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of morphine as the first drug for the treatment of moderate cancer pain by visual analogue scale in patients with advanced disease and / or metastases, as an alternative to the recommendations of the WHO analgesic ladder advocated. Methods: The patients without opioid therapy with more than 18 years, were randomly divided into two groups. G1 patients received medication according to the analgesic ladder, starting treatment with non-opioid in the first step, the second weak opioid and opioid potent in the third, and G2 received morphine as first analgesic. There was evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of initial use of morphine every 2 weeks for 3 months. Results: The study was performed in 63 patients. The groups had similar demographics.